Trinity 7 (15th of Year) Luke 10.25-37 1st July 2016

It’s hard to love.

This morning’s readings set out the vision, task and equipment for love found in Jesus Christ.

The first reading sets out something of the vision, the Good Samaritan reading the task and the second reading how you get equipped for the task of love.

As I share from Scripture I want also to touch on an important anniversary tomorrow that’s explained in July’s P&P. There you can read how this bible was brought back from the Somme battlefield by Jack Knight who lived in Timbers, Church Lane. Jack who lost his leg in the conflict picked it up from the body of a dead soldier and later on gave it to Nick Turner who’s sent it to St Giles archive. It’s inscribed: Bombadier J Knight (455), RGA 69^th Siege Battery, Found on the battlefield of the Somme Nr Contalmaison July 11^th 1916. Tomorrow is the Centenary of that discovery so I want to weave thoughts about this Bible with those I have described about the vision, task and equipment of love.

Let’s start then with the vision of love in Moses’s farewell discourse in Deuteronomy 30:9-14 set for our first reading. It refers to obeying the Lord your God by observing his commandments and decrees that are written in [the] book of the law but goes on to announce a new facet of such visionary obedience. Like Jeremiah, who prophesied near the time of the writer up of Moses’s discourse, we’re told of law being beyond what’s written on stone, in our context over the chancel arch. The vision of what it is to love isn’t just the Ten Commandments over the chancel arch you look up to when you return from Communion. The law of love is something that seeks to be written on the heart. The word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart for you to observe. This thought or vision of love, last line of today’s Old Testament reading, is pointer to the enactment of love set forth in today’s Gospel.

In the P&P article there’s speculation on what the slain soldier was doing holding his bible. Could it be that knowing he was mortally wounded he was using it for comfort as his life ebbed away?

The words and commandments of the Bible are a reminder of God’s objective presence we need to sustain us subjectively. We pray that soldier already had God’s Word in his soul, that it was in [his] heart for [him] to observe, so that he died with a vision of a God over all with love for all whose grace lit up the carnage around him so he fell own and yet up into the everlasting arms. As those words later on in Moses’s discourse express it in one translation: the eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.

The vision of love is given to rest in the heart though it rests ultimately in the certainty of God’s overarching love. We must bear heartfelt changes and chances, and what heartfelt terror surrounded this bible a century ago on the Somme. We Christians like the next man bear uncertainty and hardship in love, but we do so sustained by worship, word and sacrament en route to certainty: the certain, all embracing love of God we’ve seen in Jesus Christ.

In him we find the vision, task and equipment for love. 

There are few bible passages as familiar as Luke 10:25-37. In the story of the Good Samaritan we need to know that touching a corpse led to ritual defilement so that the priest and Levite were doing right by the ritual law. The Samaritan who wasn’t a Jew followed a higher law, that of love. His action illustrates love as a task. It’s not just benevolence let alone tolerance but doing concrete acts for people in concrete need. Our Lord turns the lawyer’s question who is my neighbour? back on him by the question which of these three was a neighbour, or in another translation, proved neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?

Loving your neighbour in Jesus’s book doesn’t mean loving some but not loving others. It means loving all, good and bad. This teaching was acted out when Jesus died outside the walls of Jerusalem.

The Christian vision of love links to a God of love who acts concretely to serve and save outsiders so that Jesus Christ’s last conversation was with the thieves crucified with him outside Jerusalem. To the generous one he said words we all hope to hear on our death bed. Today you will be with me in paradise. Luke 23:43

I must leave you to work out for yourself the relevance of today’s scripture to the xenophobia sweeping Britain in the wake of the referendum. Can there ever be outsiders so far as God’s concerned? Can we trust a nationalism that falls short of the deep British sense of fair play and inclusion, itself built from 1500 years of Christianity?

We want a society that doesn’t just tolerate difference but which respects those who’re different. Building respect is costly in time and trouble. It refuses to pass by on the other side especially when it comes to the disadvantaged. The Samaritan exemplifies this in the concrete tasks he took on. When he saw him, he was moved with pity. Then, from the heart’s motivation, followed these concrete tasks. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, “Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.” 

The vision, the task, and thirdly the equipment for love. The first reading set out the vision, the Good Samaritan Gospel reading shows us the task now we look at the second reading which touches on how we get equipped for the task of love.

Paul writes to the Christians in Colossae of his prayer that they be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding   to lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as they bear fruit in every good work and… grow in the knowledge of God. He adds May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and… be prepared to endure everything with patience. (Colossians 1:9-11). The vision of love leads us into the task of love, that is, good works, that require the strength that comes from God’s glorious power that serve endurance.  

We come to Church to join the angels, as the Glory to God and Holy, holy, holy chants affirm, in looking forward to the certainty of heaven. Our Sunday celebrations lift us up beyond the changes and chances of life, the hardships we bear in love, to the certain, all embracing love of God that will be ours in heaven with the angels and saints. In so doing the Eucharists we celebrate bathe us in heavenly love.

We come to Church primarily to worship God but through word and sacrament, prayer and fellowship we are also edified, built up, equipped. Church is a temple more than a place of edification but it is both. When we hear the word, offer ourselves in Christ’s Sacrifice and receive his body and blood we are the better equipped to love. The Holy Spirit comes again and again in prayer and worship. Through reading the Bible we’re further strengthened because there’s no word of God without power. Coming back to the Somme Bible our P&P writer Nick Turner speculates on what the slain soldier was doing holding his bible in his last hour. Could it be that he was clutching it to give him courage to press on in that bloody fray which took 420,000 British, 200,000 French and 500,000 German casualties.

There’s no word of God without power. The Bible the soldier held precious might link to having God’s Word in his soul, in [his] heart for [him] to observe. A century ago people knew the Bible, they knew the promises of God, they held as I hope we hold to one or two choice texts. That last sentence of our second reading is awesome if you can see it as addressed to you personally and put it in the singular. He has rescued me from the power of darkness and transferred me into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom I have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. The terrible darkness of the Somme loses its power for one marching forward confident he can never be taken out of Christ’s kingdom and love. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for you are with me; your rod and staff they comfort me. Psalm 23:4

It’s hard to love – in our own strength. It’s hard to persevere through tribulations small or great. The readings today set out the vision, task and equipment for love found in Jesus Christ. They awaken us to God’s vision of what it is to love, far more than the Commandments over the chancel arch, a vision to be written on our hearts. The Gospel reminds us of the task of love and how respect triumphs over tolerance in Christianity. Lastly we’re reminded how the commandment to love brings with it love’s supply in abundance through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.

Trinity 7 (15th of Year) Luke 10.25-37 1st July 2016

It’s hard to love.

This morning’s readings set out the vision, task and equipment for love found in Jesus Christ.

The first reading sets out something of the vision, the Good Samaritan reading the task and the second reading how you get equipped for the task of love.

As I share from Scripture I want also to touch on an important anniversary tomorrow that’s explained in July’s P&P. There you can read how this bible was brought back from the Somme battlefield by Jack Knight who lived in Timbers, Church Lane. Jack who lost his leg in the conflict picked it up from the body of a dead soldier and later on gave it to Nick Turner who’s sent it to St Giles archive. It’s inscribed: Bombadier J Knight (455), RGA 69^th Siege Battery, Found on the battlefield of the Somme Nr Contalmaison July 11^th 1916. Tomorrow is the Centenary of that discovery so I want to weave thoughts about this Bible with those I have described about the vision, task and equipment of love.

Let’s start then with the vision of love in Moses’s farewell discourse in Deuteronomy 30:9-14 set for our first reading. It refers to obeying the Lord your God by observing his commandments and decrees that are written in [the] book of the law but goes on to announce a new facet of such visionary obedience. Like Jeremiah, who prophesied near the time of the writer up of Moses’s discourse, we’re told of law being beyond what’s written on stone, in our context over the chancel arch. The vision of what it is to love isn’t just the Ten Commandments over the chancel arch you look up to when you return from Communion. The law of love is something that seeks to be written on the heart. The word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart for you to observe. This thought or vision of love, last line of today’s Old Testament reading, is pointer to the enactment of love set forth in today’s Gospel.

In the P&P article there’s speculation on what the slain soldier was doing holding his bible. Could it be that knowing he was mortally wounded he was using it for comfort as his life ebbed away?

The words and commandments of the Bible are a reminder of God’s objective presence we need to sustain us subjectively. We pray that soldier already had God’s Word in his soul, that it was in [his] heart for [him] to observe, so that he died with a vision of a God over all with love for all whose grace lit up the carnage around him so he fell own and yet up into the everlasting arms. As those words later on in Moses’s discourse express it in one translation: the eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.

The vision of love is given to rest in the heart though it rests ultimately in the certainty of God’s overarching love. We must bear heartfelt changes and chances, and what heartfelt terror surrounded this bible a century ago on the Somme. We Christians like the next man bear uncertainty and hardship in love, but we do so sustained by worship, word and sacrament en route to certainty: the certain, all embracing love of God we’ve seen in Jesus Christ.

In him we find the vision, task and equipment for love. 

There are few bible passages as familiar as Luke 10:25-37. In the story of the Good Samaritan we need to know that touching a corpse led to ritual defilement so that the priest and Levite were doing right by the ritual law. The Samaritan who wasn’t a Jew followed a higher law, that of love. His action illustrates love as a task. It’s not just benevolence let alone tolerance but doing concrete acts for people in concrete need. Our Lord turns the lawyer’s question who is my neighbour? back on him by the question which of these three was a neighbour, or in another translation, proved neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?

Loving your neighbour in Jesus’s book doesn’t mean loving some but not loving others. It means loving all, good and bad. This teaching was acted out when Jesus died outside the walls of Jerusalem.

The Christian vision of love links to a God of love who acts concretely to serve and save outsiders so that Jesus Christ’s last conversation was with the thieves crucified with him outside Jerusalem. To the generous one he said words we all hope to hear on our death bed. Today you will be with me in paradise. Luke 23:43

I must leave you to work out for yourself the relevance of today’s scripture to the xenophobia sweeping Britain in the wake of the referendum. Can there ever be outsiders so far as God’s concerned? Can we trust a nationalism that falls short of the deep British sense of fair play and inclusion, itself built from 1500 years of Christianity?

We want a society that doesn’t just tolerate difference but which respects those who’re different. Building respect is costly in time and trouble. It refuses to pass by on the other side especially when it comes to the disadvantaged. The Samaritan exemplifies this in the concrete tasks he took on. When he saw him, he was moved with pity. Then, from the heart’s motivation, followed these concrete tasks. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, “Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.” 

The vision, the task, and thirdly the equipment for love. The first reading set out the vision, the Good Samaritan Gospel reading shows us the task now we look at the second reading which touches on how we get equipped for the task of love.

Paul writes to the Christians in Colossae of his prayer that they be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding   to lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as they bear fruit in every good work and… grow in the knowledge of God. He adds May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and… be prepared to endure everything with patience. (Colossians 1:9-11). The vision of love leads us into the task of love, that is, good works, that require the strength that comes from God’s glorious power that serve endurance.  

We come to Church to join the angels, as the Glory to God and Holy, holy, holy chants affirm, in looking forward to the certainty of heaven. Our Sunday celebrations lift us up beyond the changes and chances of life, the hardships we bear in love, to the certain, all embracing love of God that will be ours in heaven with the angels and saints. In so doing the Eucharists we celebrate bathe us in heavenly love.

We come to Church primarily to worship God but through word and sacrament, prayer and fellowship we are also edified, built up, equipped. Church is a temple more than a place of edification but it is both. When we hear the word, offer ourselves in Christ’s Sacrifice and receive his body and blood we are the better equipped to love. The Holy Spirit comes again and again in prayer and worship. Through reading the Bible we’re further strengthened because there’s no word of God without power. Coming back to the Somme Bible our P&P writer Nick Turner speculates on what the slain soldier was doing holding his bible in his last hour. Could it be that he was clutching it to give him courage to press on in that bloody fray which took 420,000 British, 200,000 French and 500,000 German casualties.

There’s no word of God without power. The Bible the soldier held precious might link to having God’s Word in his soul, in [his] heart for [him] to observe. A century ago people knew the Bible, they knew the promises of God, they held as I hope we hold to one or two choice texts. That last sentence of our second reading is awesome if you can see it as addressed to you personally and put it in the singular. He has rescued me from the power of darkness and transferred me into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom I have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. The terrible darkness of the Somme loses its power for one marching forward confident he can never be taken out of Christ’s kingdom and love. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for you are with me; your rod and staff they comfort me. Psalm 23:4

It’s hard to love – in our own strength. It’s hard to persevere through tribulations small or great. The readings today set out the vision, task and equipment for love found in Jesus Christ. They awaken us to God’s vision of what it is to love, far more than the Commandments over the chancel arch, a vision to be written on our hearts. The Gospel reminds us of the task of love and how respect triumphs over tolerance in Christianity. Lastly we’re reminded how the commandment to love brings with it love’s supply in abundance through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.

Trinity 6 8am Eucharist 19th July 2015

Today’s gospel shows us a heart and mind expanding vision of God shown in the glorious transforming ministry of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Wherever he went…they laid the sick in the market places, and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed.  Mark 6:56

The main issue for the church today is – how much of a vision of God do we have?

How magnificent is God to us, or more exactly to you or I?

How big is your God? How real?

You can be sure of this – however magnificent and real he is to you today there’ll be a greater magnificence and reality in store for you!

On a few occasions in my ministry I have been on the scene when the glory of Jesus evidently illuminated someone.

I think of Bernard who came stumbling around to the Clergy House of my Curacy beaming all over his face.  Was he drunk? I thought. No. Jesus had come real to him. The Holy Spirit had opened his inner eyes. 

I think of an older man to whose troubled deathbed I’d been summoned. As I read the 23^rd Psalm deep peace descended upon him.  It was as if Jesus appeared and just took him away. He died joyfully as I prayed.

Or some time back when a young man called James described to me how for several months he had helped his wife cope with a spiritual problem, Jesus made himself known. James started a confirmation course. A short meeting opened my eyes with his to God’s wonder and magnificence

Here at St Giles over my six years I have seen eyes opening to the heart and mind expanding vision of God that’s at the heart of this eucharist, people testifying to transformation of their lives in some degree or other.

What a difference it makes to someone when they see Jesus!  They see glory – glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

To see Jesus is to catch hold of a radiant beauty quite out of this world, a beauty that is compelling and extraordinary in its attractiveness.

Could we wish anything more wonderful for anyone than a personal revelation of the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ?

It can be ours this morning at the Eucharist. With St John we are to call out: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty; he was, he is and he is to come.

In this celebration earth is joined to heaven. There steals on the ear the distant triumph song as our words of praise find echo and amplification from angels and archangels, St Giles and all the company of heaven. 

God grant us a vision of himself more to his dimension and less to ours as we come before him this morning to thank him for his joyful goodness!

Vision day sermon by the Rector Sunday 8th July 2012

This morning’s eucharist extends to include our vision day and so this sermon will have a ‘state of the church’ feel.

In today’s Old Testament reading we heard how Israel united around David as King. This contrasts with St Mark’s account of the controversy that surrounded and still surrounds the Son of David, Jesus Christ.

Where did this man get all this? They say. Is not this the carpenter?

Who is this Jesus? remains the question central to the church’s vision and mission. Is this person what the creed says he is - God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God - or is he not?

Belief in the divinity of Christ is as heavily eroded in Horsted Keynes as in any part of our post-Christian society. I say this on the basis of a good number of conversations with locals. The historic divisions of Christianity between Catholic, Evangelical and Liberal shrink before this greater division.

Is Jesus the Son of God or is he not? We believe he is. How do we best live and act to as to intrigue people about Jesus so they see in him the God who made them and loves them? How can St Giles Church better help our village believe in God Father, Son and Holy Spirit? That’s going to be the biggest question for St Giles Church in any generation - being true to what and who we’re founded for.

As a small community within a small community we feel the rub of the words said about Jesus in today’s Gospel: ‘prophets are not without honour, except in their home town’. Villagers see us and they also see through us. It’s hard to do evangelism in a ‘knocking on doors’ form in a village. We ‘just’ need to get ourselves to be more intriguing Christians. I say ‘just’ – in Guyana we have a frustrating phrase people use when asked to do something which is ‘just now’. It can mean anything from a minute to a month! Becoming an intriguing Christian community is a Guyanese ‘just now’ business. It’s not a ‘fast food’ process but ‘slow cooking’ as we open ourselves to scripture, sacrament and the disciplines of prayer and spiritual direction.

I’ve got great expectations of today in that God is with us and we must expect great things of him - but I can’t see any short cut to the call we each of us have to immerse ourselves more fully in the Holy Spirit through renewed discipleship. We can’t be disciples without discipline.

The three headings of our current Mission Action Plan appeal to such wholeheartedness.  Our MAP is about perceived needs and serving them in an ongoing way.

Within the big vision we share as a church – God’s glory and the salvation of the world – we have a focus: renewing our worship, engaging with youth and families and enhancing our buildings.

Three years on how are we delivering on these and what are the areas of need some of us might supply as the Lord leads them?

First renewing worship.  Later on we want more of your wisdom. On the Looking Forward programme card we listed some achievements like the lay involvement in prayer ministry for individuals now offered after the monthly all age eucharist. This involved 10 people in training with Acorn Christian foundation. Then our monthly St Giles night has been largely concerned to provide a spiritual focus. You can be sure of that on Tuesday when we go Caribbean at the Rectory with the Bishop of Guyana!  The card mentions the extra midweek eucharists. Quite often we get into double figures now.

Where are there openings to serve? We need another Sacristan to work with Colin and Lisa. Are there musicians keen to form an occasional band? Are there singers keen to join an occasional adult choir? Are there church members ready to share about how their faith relates to their life and work? A number of our members missing on Sunday due to work and family pressures gain spiritual nourishment in London Churches or elsewhere. Renewing worship is about refreshing our spiritual lives and we all gain from those ready to share how they do it, as Simon Witheridge shared earlier in the year. Renewing the prayerfulness of those who worship comes before changing service formats important as they are.

Our second mission action priority has been to engage with youth and families. Later on we want your wisdom on more helpful action. On the card we mention how Sunday Club continues apace thanks to Anne, Chris, Helen, Val and helpers. The monthly Junior Choir is at a turning point now Laura has stepped down.  Liaison with the school is close thanks to Marion and both the governors and school assembly teams. I’m sure there is potential for mission unrealised in our Church School and some of you will have ideas on this. First Steps builds links with young families thanks to the team led by Chris who’s also involved in recovering the village youth club provision.

How can we better engage with youth and families? I suggest we all pray harder about this as so many pressures are against us. There’s talk of a family friendly happening after the monthly all age eucharist. Filling in for Laura may be as simple as this. Katie, Chris and parents could lead if someone volunteered to accompany choir on the piano for half an hour on Monday’s at 6pm. There must be a good few who play the piano in Church this morning. The next Choir is on St Giles Festival on 9^th September.

Our third mission action priority has been to enhance buildings for better witness.

Over the last three years we’ve seen a lot of work on church primarily the refurbishment of the sacristy and vestry areas, the stabilising of the spire and introduction of glazed doors as well as the new high altar kneeler. The porch is now more of a welcoming statement. Friends of Horsted Keynes Church have formed up, a great lift to us all at St Giles. A lot of work has gone into agreeing the best site for a church toilet and we are in conversation with individuals whose generosity may help to move paper plans into a process of consultation and delivery but we’re talking hundreds of thousands. Such building plans put a sharp perspective on our finances and the failure to pay our parish share in full. The answer to this lies in church growth -  getting more folk coming to Church - for which this day might be an inspiration. Meanwhile David and the finance team are working on a five year finance plan that will be affected by next month’s five yearly inspection of Church.

The second prong of the enhancing of buildings for better use concerning the Martindale has no such red or amber light but a green one. I can announce exceedingly good news - a grant of £50,000 towards enlarging and upgrading the kitchen, converting the toilet by the main entrance into a disabled WC and forming a large window in the north wall of the main hall.  This comes from the Verity Waterlow Trust set up from the endowment of a lady at Westall House who left her estate to benefit the elderly in Horsted Keynes and Forest Row.  The grant comes conditional on our funding the additional cost of the works. David Jenkins has drawn up plans and obtained five quotations, the lowest of which is approx £70,000 including a contingency sum.  Mr Crowson has put his name down for £10,000 of the outstanding sum of £20,000 required.  The PCC has acted in faith to underwrite the remaining £10,000 towards the refurbishment so that the work can proceed in the autumn. We are seeking funding from villagers as well as applying to trusts outside the parish sympathetic to the Martindale’s service of the community. You can see the plans today and we would welcome donations to bridge the funding gap of £10,000.

I hope what I’ve shared is both encouraging and challenging. God in Christ is at work among us answering our prayers and challenging us to deeper discipleship. In some ways St Giles stands distinctive, over against the community, in proclaiming Jesus Christ as Unique Son of God and Saviour. In other ways we stand alongside the village favoured by much good will, as in the Martindale refurbishment.  There is work to do, nevertheless, and we want all aboard on this progressing work.